'Winning Eleven 8' offers soccer fans a great game

Published 10:00 pm, Monday, April 25, 2005

PlayStation 2, Xbox (Konami)

It's scary how good this game is. And its strongest features, besides the actual soccer playing, are the training and franchise modes. Even soccer know-it-alls will glean something new in the training mode.

The franchise (called "master league") mode can seem overwhelming at first, as if you've opened up a portal into some hard-core role-playing game, which, in a way, is true.

All the players on your team have around 30 attributes and 20 or so skill sets that can be managed and improved upon. Points are awarded after each match that can be assigned to make your players better. You'll need to address your squad's demeanor, as it will constantly want more playing time or money.

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But the big missing piece: licensed teams and names. "Winning Eleven 8" does have a limited number of franchise clubs from the Dutch and a few other leagues, but not the full-scale amount die-hard fans expect. Rated E for everyone. (Scripps Howard News Service)